MANILA — Bantay Senado, a citizen-led monitoring network, has urged the Senate Impeachment Court to make the June 18 pre-trial conference of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte open to journalists and the general public.
The group said Tuesday that transparency is a constitutional requirement in impeachment cases and should not be treated as a discretionary matter.
This appeal comes after the Senate impeachment court announced that the pre-trial session would be closed to media and public access in order to give both sides “maximum freedom and flexibility” during the proceedings.
Bantay Senado spokesperson Prof. Cleve Arguelles said the pre-trial stage is a defining part of the trial process, where procedural rules are set and key evidence and witnesses are identified.
According to him, these steps directly affect the overall course of the impeachment trial and should therefore be subject to public scrutiny.
“The impeachment trial is not a private dispute. It is a constitutional process carried out on behalf of the Filipino people. Public visibility is essential at every stage,” Arguelles said.
While the group backed the position of some prosecution members favoring openness, it clarified that it remains neutral and does not support either side of the case.
Legal expert Atty. Michael Tiu Jr., who is affiliated with Bantay Senado and teaches at the University of the Philippines College of Law, said impeachment hearings involve issues of public concern that require full disclosure under state policy.
He warned that limiting access without sufficient constitutional basis could raise questions about fairness and transparency in the proceedings.
Bantay Senado concluded its statement by urging the impeachment court to reconsider and allow the media and public to observe the pre-trial conference.
The group is a non-partisan civic initiative under the Team Pinas Foundation and has over 400 volunteers nationwide.
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